race recap
JOSH HILL | GRIT-213 | 450SX
March 21, 2023 · Josh Hill
JOSH HILL | GRIT-213 | SX 450
There are few in the sport with a resumé as equivalent to Josh Hill, with the Oregon native winning races at the highest level in the past, and continuing to compete within the top-ten of the premier 450cc division in 2023. His daring feats of jumping the largest obstacles known to man would translate well into the current "SX" format, proving that his fearlessness was second-to-none as the series rolled into Detroit for action on Saturday. He would leap through the longest lane of obstacles with a multitude of triples, kissing the front fender while stretching over the handlebars at the height of his summit, and tapping the rear brake simultaneously to sit the front-end down upon landing. This would enable him to transfer well into the night show, where heat racing action was set to begin. His start to the division round was fair, where he accrued an eleventh-place residency while hoping to latch onto the rear wheel of Cooper Webb who was ahead of him. Though Chase Marquier and Dean Wilson would have other things to say, keeping the KTM rider (of Hill) at bay as they sped toward the halfway point. It was then Fredrik Noren who was blocking the number 751 from moving forward, with Hill doing all in his power to move around before the white flag was thrown. Though speeding through the whoops with impeccable throttle twisting, Josh was unable put his KTM in front of the Kawasaki in the foreground; leaving him designated for the LCQ, which was immediately thereafter. Once in the smallest segment of racing on the itinerary, Hill would work his way into the top four, and eventually third after passing Justin Starling. At that point, he was all over the rear wheel of Chase Marquier, though unable to make the move on the Kawasaki rider...and with a stellar whip over the finish-line, he would transfer to the main event with a third-place standing. For the main event, Hill was as relentless as one could imagine, searching for the fastest lines after beginning the outing in fourteenth. Hill's memo of mistake free riding, coupled with staying smooth on the slick surfaces of Ford Field would be tremendous; leading to his passing of Dean Wilson, Benny Bloss, and Kevin Moranz. He stayed on-point when barreling through the fifteenth and sixteenth circuits, remaining focused as the field amassed a ton of laps on this shortened layout. And in the final segments, when Aaron Plessinger's mistake ultimately cost him a top-ten overall, it would be Josh Hill who was the recipient of a tenth-place finish! Which was a tremendous feat, for the Team Tedder rider!